The Dartry Céilí Band
Album: Making Tracks
Label: Self Released
Tracks: 14
Website: http://dartryceiliband.com/

Oftentimes, recordings of céilí music are predictable, lumpen affairs, familiar sets of tunes played at regulation pace ,the playing technically of a very high standard, but lacking in flash or fire. Of late though, there is-apart from the standouts such as The Kilfenora and The Tulla-a new breed of band emerging, among whom outfits like The Swallow's Tail stand out.

To those ranks now must be added The Dartry lads and lasses, for whom this is the sophomore album. Making Tracks is 15 cuts of variety, imagination, fun, and no end of frolics, music played for the love of it, so uplifting that with each track one is tempted to go for the repeat button for another blasht! It opens with a clutch of reels, most of them of South Sligo provenance, the four fiddles, flute and harp, and all the other things in the mix being propelled forward by Damien McGuinness on drums.

From then on, one is made to listen with a different ear; there is much subtlety in evidence here, not least in the first of the album's two songs. Noelle Carroll takes Bright Blue Rose down a slightly different path, her vocal slipping and sliding around Michael Rooney's accompanying harp. This is lovely indeed. Elsewhere, reels, jigs, hornpipes and barndances are played with a balance of ferocity and sensitivity not always found in such recordings. I could-were I not heading off to catch a flight right now-listen to this album till the cows come home. A fine album ,and showcase of the local style and the musicians who play it. One thing's for certain; it'll be in my final shake-up at year's end. Yes, it really is that good.

Oliver P. Sweeney